


Exit wounds

by ShariDeschain



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Post Jason's death, Tim Drake is Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 02:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13626339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShariDeschain/pseuds/ShariDeschain
Summary: “You’re bleeding.”





	Exit wounds

Shitty night, shitty patrol. Dick’s arm hurts the whole drive home - not _his_ home, of course. Bruce’s home. And he’s only going there to drop off the kid. The same kid that’s been watching him in complete silence for almost ten minutes now.

Dick knows that Tim’s slowly accumulating the courage to talk to him, one sneaky look after the other, and the idea of the kid being so intimidated by him both amuses and annoys him. After all, Tim had been anything but shy when he came knocking at his door and insisted that the right thing for Dick was to be Robin again - which was, and still is, the worst thing anyone could ever say to him, by the way, so if the kid had managed to say that to his face on their very first meeting, Dick really can't figure out what he might be afraid to tell him now.

“You know”, he starts, without looking at the kid. “I seem to remember from my etiquette training that staring at people like that is just a tiny bit rude.”

From the corner of his eye, he can see Tim jumping and immediately recoiling on himself like a chastised toddler, probably blushing at what was supposed to be just a smartass comment.

 _Oh for god’s sake_ , Dick thinks, barely catching himself from sighing or rolling his eyes.

He shakes his head instead. Tells himself to be more patient. He’s always been great with kids, but Bruce’s protegees seem to rub him the wrong way. It’s probably something that has more to do with Bruce than with them, but after Jason, Dick can’t help but feel ashamed of himself anyway. Even if he knows that Jason was a little shit. Even if he _liked_ Jason for being a little shit. Tim is nothing like Jason, though. That’s for sure. Jason would’ve answered him with a _fuck off_.

Dick bites the inside of his cheek, focusses back on the road and speeds up a little when he recognizes the access to the Batcave he was looking for. The silence in the car becomes even quieter than before, if that’s even possible.

It’s unbearable.

“What I mean is”, he tries again, this time turning to look at the kid’s face. “If you have to tell me something just tell me. I promise I won’t bite you.”

He throws in a big smile for good measure.

Tim glances up at him and doesn’t look very convinced, neither by his words nor by his fake smile, but he still clears his throat to speak.

“You’re bleeding.”

“What?”

The kid tightens his jaw, then points at his arm.

“You’re bleeding!”, he repeats, this time loud enough for his voice to cover the sound of the car and not the other way around.

“That’s what was bothering you?”, Dick laughs. “It’s nothing, just a cut.”

“What do you mean, nothing?”, Tim protests, and he looks genuinely offended on a personal level. “You need to take care of that.”

And he’s not wrong, of course. It’s something so basic - _you get hurt, you take care of yourself. you bleed, you patch yourself up. something breaks, you pick up the pieces and fix it. -_ he _can’t_ be wrong about it. And Dick shouldn't get angry about innocent, basic observations made by kids that hold nothing but good intentions. Yet, he feels a spark of that ancient anger that he once used to pour all over Bruce and his hypocrisies.

He tightens his hold on the wheel until his knuckles are white and the cut on his arm is pulsing painfully.

“It’s only blood, kid. You better get used to it very quick if you want to keep wearing that costume.”

Tim shrinks away without a word again and Dick curses at himself. He’s being stupid and cruel and he’s lashing out his own frustrations on his partner in a way Bruce - with all his faults - would never do. And Dick even prides himself to be better than Batman.

“I’m sorry, Tim. I just...”, he sighs, runs a hand through his hair. “I’m just tired, okay? It’s really only a small cut, no need to worry.”

Tim is a shadow in the furthest corner of the front seat.

“It’s okay”, the kid answers slowly. “You’re right, I guess.”

No, Dick’s not right. Not at all. That’s another thing Tim’s gonna have to get used to very quickly. And Dick would like to explain that to him but as much as he tries, he doesn’t find the right words to do it. He _is_ tired.

He stops the car when they reach the Batcave and still doesn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry”, he offers again, feeling like an useless fraud.

Tim opens the car door and jumps down. Dick closes his eyes and sighs again, dropping his head back against the seat.

 _What the hell, Grayson_.

It’s only a few seconds later that he hears a knock on his car window and finds himself face to face with a Robin sans mask and with a lifted eyebrow.

“So, are you coming in to let Alfred take care of that?”, Tim insists, no trace of sarcasm or resentment whatsoever in his voice.

Dick barks out a spontaneous laugh at that, earning himself a smile just as spontaneous from the kid. One thing Tim’s already got down for sure, and that’s the stubbornness.

“Yeah”, Dick answer, still chuckling. “Yeah, I guess so.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr prompt](https://unavenged-robin.tumblr.com/post/170700202423/youre-bleeding-tim-and-dick)


End file.
